Rhadiast lo'Kaine
Background Little is known of the man who calls himself Dia, his past is a mystery to most and known to no living person in the Shores. Though the fellow originally hails from Erebria, his exposure to cold weather over nearly the last two decades and his inability to speak has left him impossible to declare as a citizen. Raised as a lowborn and insignificant orphan, Rhadiast quickly established himself as a quick witted lad, surviving on his own as a "pure human" in the docks of Myraid relitively unscathed. Rhadiast was only eight when he killed his first man, though it taught him the fragility of life and the resourcefulness of mind; he took the lesson to heart, and determined to use his head rather than steel to sort out his problems. His first kill also earned him the surname, lo'Kaine, which was in reference to the manner of the fellows death; Rhadiast had utilized a cane to trip the fellow and throw him from atop a building. His strategies worked, for the most part, and Rhadiast was able to establish himself as competant enough to work for a reputable mercanary company known as, "The Ardent Crusade" who primarily worked for humans in the protection of the purity of that race. Though he, himself was not so zealous as his partners, he was able to effectively neutrilize unrequired hostile situations with various other races, proving to be an excellent contributer to the survival of the mercinary band. His youthful resourcefulness allowed him to possess the attention of a young noble lady, more specifically the daughter of the commander of the Ardent Crusade, Nataliv Faelin. Having proved himself capable, Rhadiast was wed to Brumit Faelin's daughter at the age of nineteen, while she herself was sixteen. The marriage proved to be profitable and Rhadiast was determined to give his first and following children a life that he did not have. Though traegdy befell, and Nataliv died in child birth, leaving his son Jaerid lo'Kaine without a mother. His plans for his children were disrupted, and he bore the shame for himself. Taking the death of Nataliv most severely, Rhadiast departed and left his son to fend for himself just as he had, though with remarkably many more resources as well as Rhadiasts personal journal. Determined to never wed again, Rhadiast shed his name and title, calling himself instead Dia and removing himself far from the reaches of civilization. Somewhere in his travels, he acquired a scar upon his throat akin to a bolt spitten from a crossbow, and with that acquisition his voice became lost to him. The man was inately drawn to the freezing north, aware of it's potential to refine him as a man while still keeping him from the influence of civilization. Retiring to the Ashfrost Glacier where no living man is said to reside, he found it the perfect place to encounter the most vicious trials of life. He dwelled in the glacier for a little under a decade before departing once again, wisened to the trials of the cold. Afterwards he traveled farther south, to refine his mind and open it to the sea as well as learn more of the world; though after a few years he once more returned to the shores, and to the glaciers, unsurprised to find it changed by the movement of snow. He once more traversed to the wilds to elude goblin, wyvern, and frost giant for nearly another decade before finally decending the glaciers to arrive in the Imperial-occupied Frostkeep. Involvement Prior to coming to the Shores for his second visit, he once met and befriended a sharp sneak who refer's to herself as "Cord", having been aboard the ship labled the Singing Behemoth that rescued her off the coast of Sar Tasai; the same ship carried the two to the Shores of Winter. The pair of them separated for quite some time before coincidence brought them to Frostkeep. Cord and Dia have frequented many dungeons in an effort to survive the effects of boredom in the freezing climate, not to mention the acquisition of wealth. His place in the tales of the ShoreS have yet to be fully realized, for better or worse. Strategy The fellow's combat strategy is unique, in that it varies from opponent to opponent, though judging from his lack of armor it can only be perceived that he deduces the best way to survive is to not get hit. He tends to hide many things within the folds of his robes, from acid flasks and smoke bombs to crossbows and ice picks, all of which he may or may not utilize in combat. Yet, the man seems to display a certain reluctance towards any hostile situation, often diffusing the situation by merely leaving or otherwise redirecting attention. Equipment He wears many sashes and robes, all layered in such a way as to give him warmth in arctic temperatures and easily tied in a manner to support comfort in less frigid locations. Amidst his ramshakle apparel are a few chains as well as rope, two ice picks are hidden within the folds of his garments as well. He wears a thick cloak that is clearly meant for warding off the icy weather, just as cloth hand wraps trail up his hands and presumably to his forearms at the least. If not worn, a pair of worn leather gloves generally hang from his sash, as do several wooden beads and other minor trinkets that seem to have little purpose but extending the asthetic apperance of his strange collaboration of fabrics. He also carries with him a stone tablet bound by a chain upon his sash, at most times it is blank and reveals nothing but the reminants of what could only be erased chalk. Motivations Rhadiast is driven by a strict code of beliefs in the strength and development of the mind, as well as a vivid understanding of the composition of the body and the surrounding energies that encompass life. He believes in law and order, though he expects nothing but chaos from those who are bound by it; having seen for himself the cruelty of the gods as well as the "good" their mercies have done. He does not often reveal his thoughts or ideas to others, likely for reasons of his own. Quotes *"The cold hardens men, it seperates the weak from strong." *"Without leaving this room, I can travel the world." *"There are no prisons." Trivia *Rhadiast was inspired by several Bioware characters, The Glorious Strategist of Jade Empire among them. *Rhadiast has other incarnations, one such as a psycic in the Lost Dales. *Rhadiast has two children, neither of which he has met. Both of which delivered by a different wife. Category: Player Characters